NCS Game Synopsis
The web portal Excite adds the title of "game publisher" to its credentials and their first project is an update to the Neo Geo game known as Power Instinct: Matrimelee aka Shin Gouketuji Ichizoku Toukon. NCS blew out a little over a hundred Neo Geo Matrimelee carts in 2004's Scrap Heap Scramble offer and perhaps it's fortunate that we sold them off since the PS2 update is an excellent conversion. Shin Gouketuji Ichizoku: Bonnou Kaihou features an additional character named Angela, vibrant music, and improved graphics.

For the uninitiated, Matrimelee is a 2D fighting game where odd-lot characters battle for the dainty purple-gloved hand of Princess Sissy (the blonde with the hat, left). Some fighters such as White and Kanji are marriage-minded but others have their own reasons and motives for reaching the Princess.

View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.

NCS Game Notes I
» In the intro to the game, Princess Sissy swings and throws out invitations while images of fighters appear on cards that flip from the center of the screen. The fighters then appear flanking the centerpiece of Sissy before the title screen pops up.

» Press START and the following selections appear:

SINGLE / Battle through the ranks to reach Sissy
VERSUS / Bout against a 2nd human player
TRAINING / Hone your skills to razor edge against a dummy opponent
MISSION / Play 25 missions that consist of bouts, targeted objectives
ON-LINE VERSUS / Hook up with an online opponent and go all out
CARD COLLECTION / Unlock and view 75 character cards and artwork
OPTION / Set button config, vibration, flash, sound, and save/load data

» The default controls are:

□ BUTTON................L-PUNCH
X BUTTON................L-KICK
Δ BUTTON................S-PUNCH
O BUTTON................S-KICK
L2 TRIGGER..............LP + LK
R2 TRIGGER..............SP + SK
L1 TRIGGER..............CARD SELECT
R1 TRIGGER..............CARD ACTION

» Sixteen fighters are selectable in Single, Training, and Mission Modes as follows: Ume, Kanji, Clara, Reiji, Keith, Anny, Chinnen, Angela, Tane, Saizo, White, Kintaro, Buntaro, Shintaro, Olof, and Hikaru. Neo Geo players will notice that Angela's a new character. Unfortunately, the Rage of the Dragons character code does not work (up, up, up, up, down, down, down, left, left, right) in the PS2 version. The Sissy playable character code also does not work.

» In the first task of MISSION MODE, players have to beat Ume in a 1-round bout. Beat her and the next mission is unlocked and so on and so forth. The second mission is against Kanji and the third mission pits a player against Clara.

» After winning a match, 10 Bonnou Point Bonuses are awarded to the player which may be used to unlock cards in the Card Collection.

» Every fighter has a double jump. Simply press up for the first lift and then press up again in mid-air to vault a little higher.

» In the character select screen, girls continually chant, "HIEEEEEEEEEEEEE." We're going to sample it and use it as a ring tone.

» To view the moves for a fighter while in battle, press START and tap into the COMMAND LIST.

» On a Dual Shock 2 pad, only the D-pad may be used for movement. L-Analog is out.

NCS Game Notes II
» The backgrounds of the stages make for some interesting sights - there's one stage where a concert is in progress while heavy metal music throttles and growls. If you look at the crowd to the right and left of the band, two separate quartets of overly energetic sumo are rocking out. The crowd in the background all wave light sticks. In another stage, a male and a female are singing karaoke while spotlights waver around them. If you watch them sing, they'll take turns and the song that plays matches their participation perfectly, including the parts when both are singing. There's no crowd in the bar but a guy seated right next to the stage flips through a magazine and a guy in a shirt and tie to the right of the stage seems to be pecking away at a portable game.

» Similar to the Japanese Neo Geo version of Matrimelee, the soundtrack of the game is well done with many songs that features vocals. There's a Euromix bent to the tracks. During the game, the songs are drowned out by the din of punches, yelling, and yelps from the fighters. To listen to the song without accompanying sound effects, simply pause the game and the volume of the song automatically rises and you may listen to the entire song as is.

» After the sixth round, Sissy sends Bobby against a player. Bobby is a black boxer with a charming smile who decks with a silhouette extension attack, knocks into opponents with his butt, throws an electrifying punch, and prances around like a butterfly. If you're knocked down, he'll run up at you and kick you again. He can also power up a streaming laser which lasts for a few seconds and fills up the local area. If you're caught in the blast late in a round, it's pretty much over. If you beat Bobby, you'll meet Sissy and enjoy a short cinematic sequence followed by the game's credits.

» The fighting runs fast and fluid for a comparable experience to the Neo Geo original. The sound is commendable with vibrant music and sound effects that thump through the speakers. Although Matrimelee won't be known much outside the Neo Geo fanbase and the players who pick up a copy from the pitifully small print run for the PS2 version, NCS considers the game a worthy fighting game that's unique in the oddities found within. Where else do geriatric seniors battle young'uns in vicious fisticuffs? Grandma Tane throws out her teeth as a bouncing projectile, Grandpa Kanji whips out his underwear sash as a weapon and battles nearly in the nude. Only when he wins does he put on a red robe. Clara has a move where she can magically transform her opponent into a golden duck. Olof can perform a multi-hit kick attack where he kicks from one side and then from the other to rob 1/3 of one's health bar for a total of 14 kicks. Although newcomer Angela looks like a female in her portrait, she looks like a man with a blue wig in-game. Her punches are so powerful that they'll take out significant amounts of health from opponents if they connect. Her voice is also strangely manly.

Default fighters and applicable alter-egos featured in the game
Clara Hananokouji / Super Clara
Oume / Super Oume
Otane / Super Otane
Reiji Ohyama
Keith Wayne
Kanji Kokuin / Super Kanji
Saizo Hattori
White Buffalo
Annie Hamilton
ChinNen
Poch / Kintaro Kokuin
Olof
Hikaru
Shintaro aka Kunohe Matarou
Buntaro aka Kunohe Ayatarou
Angela

Four Rage of the Dragons fighters (Elias, Jimmy, Jones, Lynn) are also in the game but as mentioned earlier, the original coin-op code doesn't work.

Differences from the Neo Geo original
» The hooded Enabler who stands in the background is gone. Thus, all of the nifty Enabler moves are no longer available to exploit.

» The clashing Versus animation before each match has been removed but the static trash-talking screen is intact.

» The graphics in the PS2 version are slightly improved over the Neo Geo original. The speed is on par and the sound is beautifully done.

This item may also be known as Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku: Bonnou Kaihou.

This document is ©NCSX 2006. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.